


Reunion

by mavy1



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-19 01:13:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29499366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mavy1/pseuds/mavy1
Summary: Sokka and Zuko reunite in the fire nation after too long apart.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 87





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dickpuncher420](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dickpuncher420/gifts).



> Based on [this](https://dickpuncherdraws.tumblr.com/post/642530500883382272/dickpuncherdraws-reunion-artbymavy-wrote-a) art by everyone's favorite artist Ambre dickpuncher - because we many not deserve Ambre, but she absolutely deserves gifts 💖

It had been a long day. Of course, every day since Firelord Zuko had taken the thrown had been a long day. But this one felt at least three times the day’s usual length plus five. Who would have thought that leading the fire nation would have meant putting out fires, rather than starting them.

Zuko was hunched over a stack of parchment the height of the caldera summit itself, scrawling away at some campfire-dry official document in triplicate, and praying to Agni to send him a miracle to release him from his paperwork at last. Or at least to burn up a few of them. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, closing his tired eyes for just a moment. He knew better than to rely on such foolishness.

Bent over his work as he was, he heard rather than saw as the door to his chambers groaned open in an echo of his own overworked exhaustion. Zuko Looked up, then down slightly to meet the eyes of the messenger boy much younger than he had expected, who bowed low, hurried and slightly clumsy with nerves. Zuko raising an eyebrow in query.

“Please excuse the intrusion, Firelord Zuko, but a councilman from Republic city is here to see you.”

Zuko sighed. “I have no patience for the council’s intrusion today. Please inform him that he can stay the night, and I will take an audience with him to hear his concerns tomorrow.”

“Yes, your majesty.” The boy bowed again, and turned to leave, but hesitated slightly at the door. “It’s just that… councilman Sokka said –“

“Sokka? Sokka’s here?”

“Y -Yes your majesty, he –“

Whatever the boy was about to say was lost to Zuko’s ears. In an instant he had flown past him, and out the heavy wooden doors he had come through before they could offer even a single groan of protest more.

As he hurried down the hallway he stumbled slightly over the length of his formal regal robes. He heard the worried exclamations of his guards as they leapt after him, tripping over one another to be the first to catch him, should he fall. But Zuko had no intention of falling, nor of being hindered by his robes or his guards. He gathered the lengths of rich red fabric up in his arms, exposing the bare skin of his legs to nearly above his knees, and took off running.

As he crossed the courtyard, now bathed in the soft light of the day’s end he could hear their shouts of alarm follow him as they blundered along behind, shouting for him to slow down! Slow down! But he only laughed, and ran faster. He felt he could move with the speed of the wind in the grass, bending the stalks of the flowers and fluttering their petals as he passed, to see Sokka again.

Rounding the final corner of the palace halls, he couldn’t help himself but gasp. The doors of the palace had been thrown open, and in the flood of light they offered stood Sokka, framed in soft gold which kissed his cheek and jaw gently in the way Zuko had so longed to, since he had gone away, adorning the crown of his head, and dripping down onto his shoulders, which seemed to Zuko to be perhaps slightly broader than when he had left.

The sight stopped Zuko in his tracks for only a moment. Then, he was running again.

“Sokka!” He called out, elated. And even to him, his voice sounded positively smitten. Indeed, he was quite besotted.

Sokka’s gaze was drawn to his call, and as he looked up, his face split into a wide grin. His arms, too, opened to receive Zuko as he launched himself into their embrace. Sokka caught him firmly about the waist, lifting him high off the ground, letting Zuko’s momentum carry them into a twirl, perhaps the only thing worthy of their emotional reunion.

Sokka laughed warmly, and Zuko sighed in contentment. His arms tightened around Sokka’s shoulders. Though he scarcely even left the palace these days, this was the first time he felt himself at home since Sokka’s departure.

_“Sokka_ , _”_ he breathed into the fabric of his shirt.

Sokka chuckled again, squeezing him tightly before pulling back just enough to fix him with a playful glare.

“That’s _councilman_ Sokka to you, _Zuko_. I’m a very important man these days, you know. Or haven’t you heard?”

It was Zuko’s turn to laugh. “You were always an important man, Sokka. Or have _you_ forgotten _that?”_

Sokka feigned consideration for a moment. “No, I haven’t forgotten.” He decided. Then he tilted his head, pressing his brow to Zuko’s. “But it’s not just you who knows it anymore.”

Zuko knew they were both smiling now. He lifted his had to Sokka’s cheek, finding it rough with stubble after his long journey across the sea. That was something else he was not accustomed to. He could get used to it though, he thought.

Looping his arms around Sokka once more, he pulled him into another tight hug.

“Thank you. _Spirits, thank you,”_ he whispered.

He could hear the affection in Sokka’s voice when he responded. “Well, you didn’t think I would stay away forever, did you?”

Zuko only hugged him tighter. For he knew he would never believe him if he said he had prayed to the spirits for relief, and they had sent him Sokka

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on tumblr [@artbymavy](https://artbymavy.tumblr.com/)!!


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